Erdogan: Ukraine crisis shows value of Turkey to West
Turkey's President says the conflict between Russia and the Ukraine has shown his country's importance for both the EU and NATO.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
During a speech at the ruling AK Party headquarters in Ankara, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the war in Ukraine has highlighted Turkey's importance to the West.
At an iftar held at the headquarters, and attended by diplomats, including from Russia and Ukraine, Erdogan stated that Ankara has proven it is an "indispensable ally in NATO".
“Contrary to baseless claims, recent developments in the Ukraine context have clearly demonstrated the importance of Turkey within NATO,” Erdogan stated. “Turkey has proven over and over again that it is an indispensable ally in NATO.”
Erdogan also stressed that Turkey's goal amid this conflict is to act as a mediator between the two warring sides. Turkey hosted talks between the two sides in the resort city of Antalya in late March.
"We will continue our efforts to reach a satisfactory result from the talks in Istanbul that the parties and the international community will be satisfied with,” Erdogan stated, hinting at a potential new round of talks to come.
At the start of the war, Turkey announced it was blocking warships from the key Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits in line with the Montreux Convention that gives it control over the passage of military vessels in the strategic area.
Erdogan claimed at the time that his country's position as a NATO member pushes it "not to abandon either Russia or Ukraine" while not ceding "Turkey's national interests."
"We have decided to use the Montreux Convention to prevent the escalation of the crisis," he added.
In related news, Turkey's Defense Ministry announced yesterday that Ankara has launched a major cross-border military offensive against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants in northern Iraq.
Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said, in a video address on Monday morning, that the operation will include an extensive airstrike campaign using jets, helicopters, and drones, as well as a ground incursion by commando troops.
Iraq released a statement today condemning Turkey's attacks.
